Apparatus for drying



Dec. 26, 1950 w, w, -rs 2,535,216

APPARATUS FOR DRYING Filed Aug. 10, 1949 r 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Dec. 26. 1950 v w. w. LETTS 2,535,216

APPARATUS FORDRYING Filed Aug. 10, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,535,216 APPARATUSFOR DRYING Walter W. Letts, Northville, N. Y.

Application August 10, 1949, Serial No. 109,449

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for drying and isdirected more particularly to the provision of a novel means for dryinga material in its granulated form such as straw grain, sawdust, or thelike.

A principal object of my invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of the type in which means carries the material to be driedthrough the dryer of the invention where it is subjected to hot air anddischarged therefrom.

The retention. of. moisture in many materials often results inobjectionable difilculties. For example, the retention of water incertain materials such as grain during shipment adds appreciably to thecost of such shipment. Thus the device of my invention has definite usesin the elimination of such difficulties.

Other prime objects of my invention include: first, the provision of asimplified construction and arrangement of an apparatus for drying amaterial in its granulated form which is strong, durable and compact inits structure and is distinctive in its appearance; second, thesecurement of a higher degree of accuracy in the manner of workperformed therewith than has heretofore been possible with. priordevices known in the art; third, the attainment of a higher degree ofspeed of construction and assembly of the device due to itssimplification in design and its unique composition of parts; fourth,the attainment of a flexibility or a capability of adjustment by which alarge variety of work can be produced by means of the same device;fifth, the provision of an improved drying apparatus which may be mademore economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of itsparts, as well as in the assembly of the same, than prior devices knownin the art; and sixth, the provision of a construction which may bereadily installed with respect to the various purposes for which it isintended.

These objects I accomplish by means of suc structure and relativearrangement of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of thedescription below and by various specific features which will behereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and variousother novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention aswill become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, myinvention consists in certain novel features of construction and in thecombination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter moreparticularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fullydescribed and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the device of the invention lookingat the forward or front end thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. I i

In the above mentioned drawings annexed hereto and forming a part ofthis specification, I have shown but one embodiment of my inventionwhich is deemed preferable, but it is to be understood that changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring now to the different drawings more in detail, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figuresand referring more particularly to the pre-- ferred form of my inventionselected for illustrative purposes, I have shown a receiving compartmentcomprising a pair of sidewalls 4 which diverge outwardly from theirlower extremities to a point intermediate the extremities and whichdiverge inwardly from the said intermediate points to their upperextremities as is best shown in Fig. 3, a forward end wall 6 and arearward end wall 8, which end walls are-substantially parallel and areangularly disposed relative to the vertical axis of the compartment, anda top wall member II).

An elongated duct generally indicated by 20 is provided in substantiallyhorizontal position and has a pair of side wall 24 which divergeoutwardly from their lower extremities to a point intermediate theextremities and which diverge inwardly from the said intermediate pointsto their upper extremities as is best shown in Fig. 4, a bottom wall 26and a top wall 28. An end Wall 29 at the rearmost extremity of theconduit encloses the same and may be provided with a closure 29' hingedas at 3| so as to permit entrance thereinto if desired.

An extension of the member 26 serves as the bottom wall member of thereceiving compart ment whereby the receiving compartment and theelongated duct are brought into adjacency. Likewise the wall members 4and 24 may be made from single sheets of stock if desired so as tofurther simplify the construction of the device.

A wall member 30 connects the top wall 28 and the rearward end wallmember 8 in such manner as to enclose the construction wherebycommunication between the receiving compartment and the elongated ductis afforded.

As a special feature of the invention a circulator is providedcomprising a semicircular wall member 29 and a pair of circulator sidewall members 62. Member 40 is fixed at its lower extremity to the wallmember 8 and has its upper extremity ll extending slightly inwardly intothe receiving compartment beyond the wall member 8. The wall member 8,it will be understood, is properly apertured so as to include thecirculator within the receiving compartment. Side walls 42 are fixed tothe opposite edges of the member All and to the member 8 so as toenclose the circulator within the receiving compartment as will beappreciated by reference to Fig. 1.

Hot air may be introduced from a source into the receiving compartmentthrough an inlet Ed which, it will be appreciated, is urged upwardly andalong the circuitous route indicated by the arrows a.

A damp air outlet 52 is provided in the tip member ill for the passagetherethrough of moist or damp air from the receiving compartment duringoperation as will shortly be explained.

The material to be dried is admitted to the device by means of inlet 54in the wall member 40.

Entrance to the receiving compartment be bad through an opening 9 in thewall member 6 which may be closed when the device is in operation bymeans of a closure member 55.

A plurality of vertically spaced bafile plates 60 may be horizontallydisposed within the circulator and if desired within the remainder ofthe receiving compartment.

These baiile plates direct the hot air and the material being dried intovarious paths so that a mixing of the two elements is insured. The hotair following the route designated by a urges the material being driedinto the receiving cmpartment. I

As a further aid to influencing the direction of the movement of thedried material vertically disposed bailles may be fixed within thereceiv ing compartment in a manner best shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

There is provided within the member 2!] a continuous conveying meanscomprising an endless flexible member 89 supported by a drive shaft 82and a plurality of idler shafts S i. Sprockets 85 on the shaftsengageable with the member 89 insure the movement thereof as the driveshaft 82 is rotated.

A plurality of pushers 83 spaced throughout the length of the member 86and secured thereto are provided so that as the member 86 is moved inthe direction indicated by the arrow 2) the dried material which hasdropped to the bottom of the receiving compartment on the bottom wallmember 26 is urged rearwardly through the elongated conduit towards theoutlet 93 in the bottom wall member 25 at the rearmost extremity of themember 20 as shown in Fig. 1, from and through which discharge may beobtained.

If desired a plurality of hot air inlets 92 may be provided in the wallmembers 24 whereby additional hot air may be introduced to the mtaterialbeing dried as it proceeds toward outle 90.

Also if desired a plurality of damp air outlets 94 may be provided topermit escape of damp air collected within the conduit 20.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely asbeing illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of theinvention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by theforegoing description, and all modifications and variations as fallwithin the meaning and purview and range or equivalency of the appendedclaims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Drying apparatus comprising in combination, a vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated conduit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semicircular circulator wall on the rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, and movable conveying means forconveying sawdust from the receiving chamber along said conduit to thedischarge outlet thereof.

2. Drying apparatus comprising in combination, a vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated con duit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semi-circular circulator wall on the rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, and movable conveying means forconveying sawdust from the receiving chamber along said conduit to thedischarge outlet thereof, said conveying means including an endlessflexible member supported by rotatable members having pushers spacedtherealong.

3. Drying apparatus comprisng in combination, a vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated conduit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semi-circular circulator wall on the rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, spaced horizontal baflies in saidcirculator, and movable conveying means for conveying sawdust from thereceiving chamber along said conduit to the discharge outlet thereof.

4. Drying apparatus comprising in combination, a. vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward Wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated conduit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semi-circular circulator wall on the rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, vertically disposed bafiles spacedfrom opposite side walls of said receiving compartment adjacent saidlower wall, and movable conveying means for conveying sawdust from thereceiving chamber along said conduit to the discharge outlet thereof.

5. Drying apparatus comprising in combination, a vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated conduit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semi-circular circulator wall on th rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, and movable conveying means forconveying sawdust from the receiving chamber along said conduit to thedischarge outlet thereof, said conveying means including an endlessflexible member supported by rotatable members having pushers spacedtherealong, said conduit having elongated lower, side and upper wallsand said side walls diverging from said lower wall to a pointintermediate said lower and upper walls and converging from said pointto said upper Wall.

6. Drying apparatus comprising in combination, a vertically disposedreceiving compartment having lower, side, front and rear and upperwalls, said upper wall having an outlet on the upper side thereof andsaid forward wall having a hot air inlet on the forward side thereofadjacent the lower side thereof, an elongated conduit extendinghorizontally from the rear side thereof having a discharge outlet at itsrear end, a semi-circular circulator wall on the rear side of saidcompartment having an inlet for sawdust in the upper side thereof andarranged and disposed whereby hot air from said hot-air inlet isdirected outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly into the receivingcompartment below said sawdust inlet, and movable conveying means forconveying sawdust from the receiving chamber along said conduit to thedischarge outlet thereof, said conveying means including an endlessflexible member supported by rotatable members having pushers spacedtherealong, said conduit having elongated lower, side and upper wallsand said side walls diverging from said lower wall to a pointintermediate said lower and upper walls and converging from said pointto said upper wall, said conduit provided with spaced air inlet andoutlet openings.

WALTER W. LETTS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 983,076 McNaught Jan. 31, 19112,456,674 Caughey Dec. 21, 1948

